Goodbyes
by SilverWings211
Summary: Another PMD short-story related to Reflections On the road down from the TemporalTower, the human-turned-Pokémon Amelia (Vulpix) reflects on her friendship with Rio (Riolu) and the bitterness of saying goodbye.


We had done it. The flow of Time had been restored –and it hadn't been easy to return the Time Gears to where they were supposed to be. We had been attacked by Dialga who had been on the verge of transforming into the bitter and twisted form we had seen in the future –the deity of Time from then would only live for self-preservation and off primal instincts. Thankfully, that future no longer existed. It had taken everything we had to defeat him.

But it was over now, and we were making our way back down the Temporal Tower that was restored and once again whole. I listened to Rio chatter on about organising a party once we got back to the Guild to celebrate the restoration of Time –he was leading the way. I was feeling weak, really weak –it was as though I had gone too long without eating. But this hunger went deeper than anything else I had ever experienced –I knew that it wasn't hunger. This was more permanent. I wasn't going to make it back to the Rainbow Stoneship –I felt my heart ache. This was the end of my adventures with Rio.

"_Parting's such sweet sorrow…"_ Grovyle's final words echoed in my mind. Those had been his final words to me, to us, before he had disappeared back into the future, taking Dusknoir with him. Rio had thought he was talking about losing me not once, but twice –we had been separated in a time-travelling accident, and I had completely forgotten him. When we met again, he tried to kill me and Rio. It wasn't until Dusknoir had trapped us all metres from the Dimensional Portal back to the past that I finally learnt that I had been Grovyle's human partner.

But as much as Grovyle's final departure had hurt me –after so long I had found a connection to my forgotten past –it hadn't been what Grovyle had been talking about. Rio hadn't been there to hear the exchange…

It was after we had downed Dusknoir by combining our attacks to fire his Shadow Ball back into his stomach's mouth. The Sableye had run back to the future with their figurative tails between their legs and Rio had gone on ahead to activate the Stoneship; Grovyle and I had remained to keep an eye on the defeated Ghost-type.

"_Grovyle, Amelia, wait," Dusknoir's voice rose. I looked back at the Pokémon I had once trusted –we had brought him down as a team, but obviously he didn't know when to stay down. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? If you stop Master Dialga, if history is changed, we Pokémon of the future will disappear."_

"_Everyone?" I repeated. My mind went back to that frozen future, to the confused Spiritomb that had run away the moment that we had defeated, to the Shiny Celebi who had so obviously had a crush on Grovyle and risked everything for us not once but twice._

"_Don't listen to a word that Dusknoir says, Amelia!" Grovyle warned. Dusknoir was far from done with us._

"_Of course, since you're from a future that will cease to exist as well, you'll disappear too."_

_I was stunned into silence and stillness in shock. I was going to disappear? Suddenly what Celebi had said in the future –that she was willing to risk everything to see a future with a sun –made a lot more sense. I turned to Grovyle._

"_Is what Dusknoir saying the truth?" I asked, really wanting to hear him say that the Ghost-type was spouting nonsense. But Grovyle didn't._

"_It's the truth," he said._

"_But it can't be!" I exclaimed._

"_It is," Grovyle affirmed. "You see, as long as Time keeps passing here, then the Pokémon will be able to leave peacefully. And that's the real reason why we're here, after all._

"_When I came to this planet, I saw the sunrise for the very first time, and I felt the beauty of life surrounding me, everywhere, as far as the eye could see. In the future, we've all lost our desire to live. But if we could somehow change the future's world of darkness… well, then I would stake my life on it._

"_Our lives will be lost, Amelia –but the result is that the future will be saved for everyone. You and I both came here, fully prepared for that eventuality."_

_So that's how it had been from the very beginning –Grovyle, Celebi and I had been willing to put our very lives on the line for this. I looked over the Hidden Land –it was still beautiful, still clear blue skies and with a breeze that I had come to love since returning from the stillness and darkness of the future. If this was what we had come here to bring to the future, then I was willing to pay any price, even my own existence._

"_Of course, I realise that losing your memories might make this difficult for you to accept…" Grovyle said._

"_Alright, Grovyle," I said, interrupting him. "If no-one but us can prevent the destruction of Time, then we've got to –even if it means the end for us! We have to make sure that Time doesn't stop!"_

"_Right, Amelia," Grovyle said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "Thank you… but there's one other thing that concerns me… Something has changed since we first arrived in the present."_

"_What?" I asked. I heard a hum and looked around to the top of the open-air temple. Something on the top was causing a light-show –the Rainbow Stoneship had to be active. Grovyle sighed heavily._

"_In the future, we were ready for all of this, and there was absolutely nothing to lose –nothing. You're completely different from how you were, Amelia, and the reason for that is you now have Rio."_

_Rio –how could I have completely overlooked my friend's part in this? How could I possibly tell him that this was the end for me…and what might the repressions be?_

"_Rio's gotten very close to you, and if he was to know that this was to be the end for you, it would be very, very sad."_

"_You're right, Grovyle," I said. Rio had been my best friend -the fact that I trusted him was the reason that my Dimensional Scream had worked here at all. We had both helped each other -I had watched him grow from being a big timid chicken about everything to something very close to a leader -the expedition to Fogbound Lake had proven that. And in return, he had helped me get used to this world. Together we had climbed the ranks of the Guild to become Gold Ranked. He had urged me on the one time I had given up in the future when we had been trapped by Sableye, Dusknoir and Primal Dialga. And now I was going to disappear on him. "What will happen?"_

Our talk had given Dusknoir time to recover and attack again. Grovyle had stepped in to bodily protect me –and then dragged Dusknoir back to a future that would disappear once Rio and I restored Time. Watching my friend vanish into thin air was possibly one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through –it was even worse than nearly being executed via Sableye on a stockade. I kept quiet about the true meaning of Grovyle's words –we had needed to be at our absolute best for our last adventure together.

But now, as Time flowed, I was running out of the same thing I had set out to restore. I was finally disappearing. Rio needed to know.

It got harder to move, and I looked down to see that a paw was turning transparent. So this was what was happening to the Pokémon of the future as a new one was born. I hoped that Grovyle had at least seen rhe sun rise in that future before he disappeared too.

"Amelia! Come on –what's wrong?" Rio said, his tone changing when he saw that I was disappearing –quite literally. He needed to know.

"Dusknoir said something before Grovyle took him back to the future –because we've altered history, everyone who lived in that sunless world will disappear from existence," I said. "I'm afraid my time's up, partner. I can't exist anymore."

"No! I've already watched Grovyle disappear! I won't lose you too! You have to come back with me to Treasure Town –we have to tell the Guild together!" Rio shouted, near tears. I could feel that I was slipping from this reality fasted.

"Grovyle and I came here willing to accept the fact that we would disappear when the destruction of Time was stopped," I said. "Remember his last words –he said them because he was worried about what would happen to you once I finally disappeared. This was our final mission, partner."

"I don't want you to go!" Rio sobbed.

"There's something I want you to do for me," I said. "Go back to Treasure Town –tell the story about everything we've experienced, make sure that no-one ever takes the flow of Time for guaranteed again. Make sure that what happened here is never forgotten –make sure everyone appreciates the sunrise."

My body dispersed as a shower of golden sparks. It was a weird feeling, and I looked down at Rio as he fell to his knees where my body had been moments before with tears flooding down his face.

_Goodbye, my dear friend… I'll never forget you…I'm so glad you let me be a part of Team PokePals._


End file.
